“You forgot to say ‘Uno’!” Lang Giang cheerfully exclaims before covering her mouth in laughter. It’s the twelfth time she’s caught me this trip and blocked me from winning. By this point in our trek, day four of six, Giang feels more like a friend than my tour guide through Sapa.

Once the sun slips beneath the shimmering waves slathering the sky with soft pinks, reds and oranges, the green lamps of the squid boats strung across the horizon blink on and resemble a series of ellipses as if the ocean is trying to articulate the unsayable.

As the planet-wide dumpster fire that was 2018 comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to look back at the year in Hẻm Gems through our first-ever Golden Plastic Stool Awards. These will honor some of our favorite local eateries from the past 12 months across four categories: Best Vietnamese Food, Best Non-Vietnamese Food, Best Ambiance and Best Cafe/Bar. We’ll also take a moment to honor our favorite Hẻm Gems that were shuttered this year.

Firmly established as the international school of choice in Ho Chi Minh City, the British International School is a selective, independent and co-educational day school that provides a diverse international education measured by British standards.

FMP’s Saigon International Mother & Baby Association (SIMBA) hopes you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year—and is delighted to announce that our SIMBA gatherings will be resumed this month!

Envy confidently announced that it has put its name in the running for DJ Mag’s famed Top 100 Clubs competition.

According to the publication, the list is the “definitive annual guide to the world's most popular DJs and is a living symbol of the strength of the global electronic music scene.” Envy aims to be the first Vietnamese club to make the cut for its 26th edition.

As the first superclub and the first club of its kind entertainment-wise in Vietnam, Envy certainly pushes the envelope within the country, but what about on the world stage?

Saigoneer asked Envy why they think they are ready to compete with famous clubs in global destinations like Las Vegas, Ibiza and London, and was told it is due to the quality of entertainment available.

As a club with an EDM focus, Envy has brought a number of the world’s top EDM DJs through its doors, including Alan Walker, Yellow Claw, Tujamo and Krewella. It has also nurtured young local EDM talent via their outreach project “DJ United”, which resulted in four of the contestants becoming Envy house DJs. 2019 will see Envy swap their talent with other local clubs, contributing further to the growth of the EDM community.

Top clubs are not chosen for the list based on music choices alone, however, and Envy knows that. Many of the clubs who make the Top 100 list offer a range of music in different rooms, or a unique experience, on top of the quality of music and surroundings. Envy fufills this criteria by bringing in an eclectic mix of artists, including the occasional hip-hop act, such as T-Pain.

The experiences they offer are undoubtedly unique to Vietnam, with nightly theme shows throughout the year, usually featuring aerial artists tumbling and gliding from their specially commissioned 12 meter-high ceiling rigs. The escapist experience gives guests the feeling that they have been transported to a well-established nightclub in Europe.

In addition to their aim to make the top 100 list, for 2019 the club plans to bring ever more quality DJs to Vietnam, and expand their repertoire to include more classic house, a genre of dance music, in the mix. The aim is similar to what Envy has already been doing for EDM in Saigon, which is educating audiences by bringing in tastemakers and stalwarts in order for locals to experience and expand their knowledge of dance music. The club also plans to maintain the quality of its cyberpunk art-deco decor, sound system and set up.

While Envy is only two years old, and not located in a location traditionally associated with club music and transformative experiences, like Ibiza or Croatia, the Top 100 Clubs competition prides itself on promoting the diversity of the EDM landscape, from open-air clubs to underground bunkers, and from all reaches of the world - giving Envy a good shot at making it on to the longlist.

If there are nerves, Envy isn’t showing it. It recently hosted two official DJ Mag events this party season, Lucas & Steve and Futuristic Polar Bears, and will welcome upcoming an official DJ Mag party in January.

Official voting for the Top 100 Clubs of 2018 is already open and runs until 11:59 GMT / 6:59 ICT (Saigon time) on February 13. Let’s show your love and vote for Envy Now.

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